Erectable u-shaped article

ABSTRACT

An erectable item of furniture which is assembled from an initially flat sheet and a juxtaposed support is provided comprising a pair of hollow sidewalls, an end wall formed of hollow sections extending between the sidewalls and a shelf formed by a center wall portion extending between the sidewalls.

United States References Cited! UNITED STATES PATENTS 72] Inventors Jaakko Tauno Aleksis llnllto Helsinki;

Paavo Tapio Pennanen, llnkeroinen, both of W mm w W" m a m m n e kwm i eym HBLS 9456 5666 9999 NH 9225 5870 0847 4180 0265 v 1 2333 B 91A 67a 99 11m 8 mw m h f T m w a w y FSMSO 0.. de mm P i mmw AFPA umo 2247 Primary Examiner-Casmir A. Nunberg Attorney-Roylance, Abrams, Berdo & Kaul lnlteroinen, lFlnland [54] IEIRIECTABLE U-SHAPED AR'lIlClLE 7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

297/440, ABSTRACT: An erectable item of furniture which is assem- 297/442 A4l7c 9/12, A470 4/02 297/] bled from an initially flat sheet and a juxtaposed support is [51] provided comprising a pair of hollow sidewalls, an end wall formed of hollow sections extending between the sidewalls and a shelf formed by a center wall portion extendin the sidewalls.

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ERECTABLE U-SI'IAPED ARTICLE FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a U-shaped erectable article which can be employed as a children's chair, table or similar article of furniture. More particularly, this invention relates to an erectable, U-shaped article of furniture, which may be assembled from a sheet of paperboard and a support member, each of which may be shipped and stored in a flattened or collapsed condition, but which may be quickly and easily erected manually into an article of furniture when desired.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The cost of childrens toys has increased along with other commodities in recent years. A portion of this market comprises articles of furniture, such as children's chairs, tables, shelves, and various other articles. It is desirable that such articles be relatively inexpensive, but the cost of the usual materials of construction has often prevented such a goal. No small part of the cost involved in such articles is that of shipping and storage. Thus, it is highly desirable that such articles be stored in a relatively flat position and be capable of being erected prior to use.

Many of the presently available articles of childrens fumiture are quite expensive and are time consuming to erect subsequent to purchase. Thus, such items often comprise many separate parts packed in a carton along with numerous nuts and bolts required for construction, and fairly difficult instructions for assembly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In contrast to all of the aforementioned difficulties, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the deficiencies and shortcomings of the previously available articles and to provide in their stead an improved, superior form of article.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an article of furniture which is extremely simple to manufacture, assemble and erect, and which will fully perform its desired function as a childrens article of furniture.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an article of furniture which can be stored and shipped in a flattened or collapsed condition, but which can be manually erected very quickly and simply with a minimum of manipulative skills.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an article of furniture which can be inexpensively manufactured and produced and which can be very quickly and easily erected by a customer having no special skill whatsoever. Still another object of the present invention is to provide an article of fumiture which may be placed in a flattened condition and supplied from the manufacturer to the consumer in a relatively small package.

Other objects, advantages and salient features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description which, when taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings:

FIG. l is a perspective view of a die-cut sheet blank with a supporting means or body placed on it from which the article of the present invention is fabricated;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the die-cut sheet or blank of FIG. 1 being partly folded;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the die-cut sheet being folded in an advanced stage as compared with FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is an axonometric view of a table and chair in accordance with the principals of the present invention, such articles being shown in an erected condition.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, which shows a die-cut sheet that may be made of paperboard,

for example, and a juxtaposed support or supporting part. The support is composed of two board pieces which have been put opposite each other in back-to-back relation to form a pair of generally U-shaped sections. The support has a middle part or double thickness central wall I, that originates from the bottom and links the flaps of the U-shaped support to each other. The opposite board parts are fastened to each other at the central wall. At the two ends of the center wall that are towards the flaps of the U-shaped support, there are the gable parts or end flaps 2 separated by the creasings. The end flaps 2 are not fixed to each other. They can be turned to one side away from each other in doing which a flange or end portion is formed at both ends mentioned above against the flaps of the U-shaped support. In FIG. 1, the end flaps 2 have already been folded to the final position in one end of the central wall 1, but at the other end, one of the end flaps is not yet in its final position. Center wall l is partly encircled by a covering part or securing member 3. In the die-cut sheet there is a bottom part 4 which is against the bottom of the U-shaped support.

The support is placed against the bottom part 4 so that the flange parts or flaps 2 are towards the two opposite edges of the bottom part 4. In so doing, the center wall ll of the support stands in the middle of the bottom part 4. There are side flaps as continuations to the edge of the bottom part 4, which is parallel to the center wall 1. These side flaps are separated by creasings and they are divided into parts or sections ll), 11, 12, 13 and 14 by transverse creasings 6,, 7, 8 and 9.

As shown in FIG. 2, a hollow part of section is formed by folding the side flaps along the creasings so that section 14 comes against section and this hollow section is locked by pressing the locking flaps IS in section 10 through the openings 16 in section 14. Sections in the side flap have been dimensioned in such a manner that when the formed hollow section is turned around the creasing 5 against bottom part 4, so that the hollow part is between the flanges or end portions of the support which is on the bottom part, section 12 of the hollow part becomes pressed against that portion of center wall I which is behind or below the securing members 3 that partly covers the center wall of the support. Section 12 wholly covers center wall I and this causes the hollow section to be locked in its place due to the back edge of the securing member 3. Thus, the hollow sections which are pressed against the bottom part 4 are formed on both sides of the center wall ll.

At the opposite edges of the bottom part 4 in the die-cut sheet, which are against the gable parts. or end flaps, there is a continuation of the bottom part and comprises a gable flap parallel with the edge mentioned above. It has been divided into parts or sections by transverse creasings I8, 19, 20, 21 and 22, so that the section which is a continuation of the edge of the bottom is of the same size as the end flaps of the U- shaped support sections 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27 are continuations of the die-cut sheet adjacent both ends of the support. The side flaps mentioned above are turned 90 upwards and then their center section 28 is against. the gable part or end flaps 2 of the support to which it is locked by pressing the locking flaps 29 in section 28 through openings 30 in the end flaps 2. Next, a hollow part or section is formed on both sides of section 28 by folding the lengthening pieces or foldable sections adjacent the ends of section 28 so that flap 27 is against section 25. The sections 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27 which are in the aforementioned flaps are designed such that when the hollow part or section formed of them is turned against the inner side of the gable side in the body, the bottom of the hollow section is against the center wall of the support, on the side of the securing member 3, and against the hollow section which has been formed between the gable parts of the body of the hollow section. There is flap 31 which is a continuation of the end of section 28 which is pressed against the end of the supporting part in the gable flap. The flap 31 is of the shape that it covers the other ends of the parts formed of gable flaps and it is equipped with supporting sections 32 which are to be pressed inside the hollow sections. Near flap 31 and the creasing of section 28, there is an opening 33. Locking flap 35 which is on the outer edge of covering flap 34 is put through the opening 33.

FlG. 4 shows the article of the present invention both as a chair and as a table. Other articles of furniture, such as shelves can be assembled from the article of this invention.

The crux of the invention is that there be formed a hollow section on both sides of each end of the center wall of the support, as well as hollow sections which are pressed against the center wall on both sides of it on the end flaps or gables. The other ends of these hollow sections are against the first-mentioned hollow sections.

The invention is not limited only to the aforementioned examples, but it can be employed in many different ways within the scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. An erectable item of furniture which is assembled from an initially flat sheet and a juxtaposed support means, comprising said support means including a central wall portion and a pair of parallel end portions;

said support means also including a securing member;

said sheet including first sections initially extending laterally and in opposite directions from said central wall;

said first sections being manually foldable into first hollow sections, which are positioned between the end portions of said support means and which abut against the center wall portion of said supporting means; said first hollow sections being maintained folded by interengagement of a portion thereof with a portion of said securing member;

said sheet also including second sections initially extending laterally and in opposite directions from said end portions;

said second sections being manually foldable into second hollow sections, each of which is positioned adjacent to and which substantially surrounds one of said end portions of said support means;

said second sections being maintained folded by interengagement of a portion thereof with a portion of said securing member and by interengagement of another portion thereof between said first hollow sections and said end portion;

said item of furniture thus comprising a pair of sidewalls formed by said second hollow sections, an end wall formed by said first hollow sections extending between said sidewalls, and a shelf formed by said center wall portion extending between said sidewalls.

2. An item of furniture as defined in claim I wherein said central support means is formed of a pair of generally U- shaped sections disposed in back-to-back relation to form a double thickness central wall portion with said end portions being formed from the end flaps of each section.

3. An item of furniture as defined in claim 2 wherein said securing member has a generally U-shaped configuration and maintains said U-shaped sections in back-to-back relation.

4 An item of furniture as defined in claim 1 wherein said first sections are provided with locking flaps and openings corresponding therewith for securing said first hollow sections against the center wall of said U-shaped section.

5. An item of furniture as defined in claim 1 wherein said second sections are provided with locking flaps, and said second sections and said parallel end portions are provided with openings for receiving said locking flaps and maintaining said second sections adjacent said respective end portions.

6. An item of furniture as defined in claim 1, wherein said first sections are provided with a plurality of transverse creasings parallel with said central wall portion.

7. An item of furniture as defined in claim 1, wherein said second sections are provided with a plurality of transverse creasings parallel with said central wall portion. 

1. An erectable item of furniture which is assembled from an initially flat sheet and a juxtaposed support means, comprising said support means including a central wall portion and a pair of parallel end portions; said support means also including a securing member; said sheet including first sections initially extending laterally and in opposite directions from said central wall; said first sections being manually foldable into first hollow sections, which are positioned between the end portions of said support means and which abut against the center wall portion of said supporting means; said first hollow sections being maintained folded by interengagement of a portion thereof with a portion of said securing member; said sheet also including second sections initially extending laterally and in opposite directions from said end portions; said second sections being manually foldable into second hollow sections, each of which is positioned adjacent to and which substantially surrounds one of said end portions of said support means; said second sections being maintained folded by interengagement of a portion thereof with a portion of said securing member and by interengagement of another portion thereof between said first hollow sections and said end portion; said item of furniture thus comprising a pair of sidewalls formed by said second hollow sections, an end wall formed by said first hollow sections extending between said sidewalls, and a shelf formed by said center wall portion extending between said sidewalls.
 2. An item of furniture as defined in claim 1 wherein said central support means is formed of a pair of generally U-shaped sections disposed in back-to-back relation to form a double thickness central wall portion with said end portions being formed from the end flaps of each section.
 3. An item of furniture as defined in claim 2 wherein said securing member has a generally U-shaped configuration and maintains said U-shaped sections in back-to-back relation. 4 An item of furniture as defined in claim 1 wherein said first sections are provided with locking Flaps and openings corresponding therewith for securing said first hollow sections against the center wall of said U-shaped section.
 5. An item of furniture as defined in claim 1 wherein said second sections are provided with locking flaps, and said second sections and said parallel end portions are provided with openings for receiving said locking flaps and maintaining said second sections adjacent said respective end portions.
 6. An item of furniture as defined in claim 1, wherein said first sections are provided with a plurality of transverse creasings parallel with said central wall portion.
 7. An item of furniture as defined in claim 1, wherein said second sections are provided with a plurality of transverse creasings parallel with said central wall portion. 